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British shoppers are falling out of love with traditionally crescent shaped croissants – preferring ones that are straight, according to supermarket chain Tesco.
Both shapes have been sold on British high streets for some time but recently demand for the curved ones has fallen, the grocery multiple says.
Tesco claims it’s because of something known in the baking trade as ‘the spreadability factor’, with Brits finding it easier to spread jam and other fillings on the straight ones.
As a result, Tesco consigning its crescent shaped croissants to history and will only sell the straight variety from today (Friday February 19).
The move will affect nearly one million of the supermarket’s own-label croissants a week, which are currently made in a crescent shape.
Tesco croissant buyer Harry Jones explained: “After demand for crescent shaped croissants started falling, we spoke to our customers and nearly 75% of them told us that they preferred straight ones.
“At the heart of the move away from curved croissants is the spreadability factor. The majority of shoppers find it easier to spread jam, or their preferred filling, on a straighter shape with a single sweeping motion.
“With the crescent shaped croissants it’s more fiddly, and most people can take up to three attempts to achieve perfect coverage, which increases the potential for accidents involving sticky fingers and tables.”
Tesco shoppers have also said that they believe straighter croissants are more sophisticated and better quality.
Croissants are made from a leavened form of puff pastry with the yeast dough layered with butter, then rolled and folded several times in succession, before being rolled into a sheet.
